Most of you folks have heard of the Minoan Civilization which centered in Crete around 1500 BCE. This piece is specifically about the great earthquake that eventually destroyed that civilization on or around that date. (Perhaps 1517). All of the events connected with this civilization and its demise took place hundreds of years prior to any of the historical events in the Old Testament or ancient Greece. They also somewhat correspond with those described in various accounts of the existence of the “lost” civilization of Atlantis by the Greek writers Plato and Solon.
The story of the Minoan civilization centers on the island of Crete where the ruins of its grandiose palaces and surrounding villas were discovered by Sir Arthur Evans in 1900. This discovery and its subsequent explorations and reconstructions is a story for another time and place. Our focus here is on the island of Santorini as it has been called in modern times. Actually, we are dealing here with just the remains of what was once a much larger island prior to its destruction by a huge earthquake in 1517 BCE. The Minoans had established an outlyer connection on this island prior to the end catastrophic end of their entire civilization.
There is evidence that these Minoans, named in modern times by Evans and other archeologists in honor of their King Minos, had made great advances in agriculture, art, commerce, and sea travel. The explosion of the huge volcano destroyed most of the island of Santorini, along with literally the entire Minoan civilization, people and palaces. With Evans’ excavations and those of subsequent archeologists a great deal of knowledge about the Minoans has come to light. Some have speculated that they were the people of the Atlantis spoken of in the ancient myths. The archaeological work that is still going on has uncovered enormous and highly advanced buildings and other structures.
I have had the privilege of taking many student groups to both Crete and Santorini. There are three Minoan palaces on Crete, along with numerous other ruins and archaeological sites. There are also several sea-side ports along the coastline which suggest frequent travel both to Egypt and the coast of what we know as Phoenicia. The “town” uncovered at the southern end of Santorini, Akrotiri, the archaeologists have been able to reconstruct several buildings and actual streets. The chief archaeologist of these digs was Spyridon Marinatos, who died on site and is buried there.
One of my student group trips to Santorini took place in January and the island was essentially closed. Nevertheless, we were able to locate one member of the archaeology team who happened to be available, and with the help of one of my students who was of Greek descent and fluent in Greek, we got a full tour of the ruins, complete with a good deal of “extra” information since we were the “only show in town.” It was especially moving to be able to see Professor Marinatos’ grave site. His daughter has published her own account of their combined study of the Minoans on Santorini.
Bye the way, the cliffside of the island goes directly down over 1,000 feet and makes a fantastic sight as one leans over the railing at the top and peers on down to and beneath the water. Santorini is truly a fascinating island to visit in its own right, but especially because of its fascinating and mysterious history. One interesting book with which to begin is that of Gavin Menzies titled The Lost Empire of Atlantis. There are, of course, many other volumes dealing with Crete and Santorini, covering everything from history to art and religion. Best of all, however, is a trip of one’s own!!